How Raising Cane’s is outperforming other restaurant chains

Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves is not bashful about proclaiming the chicken finger chain’s goals: “Our next aspiration is to be a top 10 restaurant brand in the U.S. Think of the big boys—McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Starbucks, Subway—companies that have been open a lot longer than we have,” he told company leaders at a recent meeting in Cancún, Mexico, according to Nation’s Restaurant News. The 28-year-old company seems on its way to making that a reality, thanks to menu discipline and breakthrough celebrity-fueled marketing. The privately held chain grew year-over-year revenue by 33% in the first half of 2024 to $2.3 billion, powered by a 17.5% increase in same-store sales, according to S&P Global Ratings. Third-quarter sales grew 19% to $1.2 billion, as the company notched its 63rd straight quarter of same-store sales growth, according to figures the chain shared with Ad Age. Read about all of the 2024 Marketers of the Year Raising Cane’s is on track to open 85 new locations this year, bringing its total to nearly 900. As of 2023, it ranked as the 28th-largest restaurant chain in the U.S., according to Technomic, which shows it getting 28% of its visits from Gen Z, outpacing the 22% average of its competitors. Its 2024 performance has blown away most of the restaurant competition, as chains such as McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC struggle to grow business as consumers deal with rising prices caused by stubborn inflation. Raising Cane’s secret to success is its simplicity, relying on a menu of chicken finger combo meals and little else. That singular focus is the basis of its slogan—“One Love”—that it leans into annually with Valentine’s Day marketing that has featured images of so-called Caniac couples enjoying its food. As competitors focus on value meals, heavy discounts and limited-time offers, “we’ve done none of that because we really want to showcase our product, the excellent customer service that we have and the high quality, crave-able chicken,” said Kim Freer, the chain’s chief marketing officer. Raising Cane’s is so into that experience that it makes corporate employees work shifts at restaurants during their first days on the job, and again annually—which is why Freer also carries the dual title of fry cook and cashier. “Raising Cane’s is positioned at the right place at the right time” to seize on the “staggering” growth in demand for chicken at restaurants, Alicia Kelso, executive editor at Nation’s Restaurant News, stated in an email. Its simple menu has been critical because in the current pricing environment, “consumers really like knowing what to expect and really want consistency,” she added. But it’s not all about the food—Raising Cane’s has a knack for generating publicity by getting celebs to work shifts at its stores. It’s part of a marketing approach centered on getting “integrated in those pop culture moments,” Freer said. On Nov. 4, for instance, Los Angeles Dodger Kiké Hernández showed up at a location in Alhambra, California, drawing lines and local TV coverage in the massive Los Angeles media market, shortly after the Dodgers’ World Series win. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dodgers Nation (@dodgersnation) One of Raising Cane’s biggest celebrity backers is Post Malone, who last year collaborated with the chain to design a restaurant, near his home in Midvale, Utah, whose pink exterior includes tattoo imagery. That was followed by a Malone and Dallas Cowboys-themed location in Dallas. This year, the chain ran a charitable program with Malone that had consumers add $1.99 to any combo meal in return for a poster of the singer, with proceeds going to youth music program Notes for Notes. The chain has also gotten a boost from flagship stores in high-traffic areas “that generate intrigue and excitement and have become the highest-volume locations in the system,” Kelso said. For a new location in Boston, which opened on Aug. 28 and marked its 828th restaurant during the chain’s 28th year in business, the company celebrated its golden birthday by designing the store in gold. Singer JVKE performed his single “Golden Hour” at the opening. @musicmayhemmagazine.com When the “Golden Hour” meets the golden birthday! 🎤✨ @JVKE lit up Boston with a performance of his viral hit during @Raising Cane's golden birthday bash! 28 years never looked so good. #JVKE #RaisingCanes #ToddGraves #Boston #DavidOrtiz #JrueHoliday #raisingcanessauce #raisingcaneschickenfingers #goldenhour #gold #goldenbirthday #saucycelebration #massachusetts #livemusic #performance #concert #viraltiktok #viralsong #singer ♬ original sound - Music Mayhem Raising Cane’s flagship in Nashville, Tennessee, which opened in June, has 200 disco balls and barstools topped with famous vinyl records. During New York Fashion Week, it had models show off branded apparel and merch in the windows of its 8,000-plus-square-foot Times Square location. A TikTok of the event was flooded with people begging the chain to open stores in their hometowns; “Day 4 of asking you to come to Fargo, North Dakota,” wrote one commenter. @raisingcanes It's #CanesFashionWeek! @Brooks Nader, @SAMHURLEY🌊, @Kelsey Anderson, @Ciara Miller, and @Sarah Jane ♬ original sound - Raising Cane's Read about all of the 2024 Marketers of the Year

How Raising Cane’s is outperforming other restaurant chains

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